Harlem star to play for Middle Georgia

Chancellar Martin figures her reputation will precede her when she takes the floor for Middle Georgia College next season.

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The Harlem senior can handle the ball, drive to the basket and play tough defense on the other end. Middle Georgia coaches now want her to work on her shot so that opposing defenses can't collapse to protect against her drive.

"Everyone knows I can dribble and go to the hole and about everything else," Martin said Wednesday after signing with Middle Georgia. "All I need to do is shoot more and improve on that shot."

Middle Georgia coach Anderson Ligon said Martin should be in the mix for a starting position right away. Ligon and his staff started watching Martin at the beginning of the Bulldogs' season and stayed with her throughout the year.

"One thing I'm very impressed about is her ability to run a basketball program, run a team," Ligon said. "And that's what we look for."

Harlem coach Amy Slagle, and just about everyone who watched the Bulldogs, tabbed Martin as a difference-maker. She averaged more than six steals a game and distributed the ball to Ebony and Nicole Wells, who are sisters.

Ligon said he thought Martin could average a double-double in points and assists at Middle Georgia.

"She's long, she's tall, and she can play good defense," Ligon said.

Ligon's program has enjoyed recent success, winning its region and district last season and advancing to the round of 16 nationally. He said his system has an up-tempo style that is heavy on fast-break and full-court pressure.

It's a style Martin would seem accustomed to, although Ligon noted Martin might face a transition with the college shot clock. Georgia high school basketball has no shot clock; women's college basketball uses a 30-second shot clock.

But it was minutes, not seconds, that counted for Martin during her final high school season. The Bulldogs point guard played almost every minute during her senior tour and harassed opposing guards.

Slagle said she heard during the season from about 10 schools interested in Martin.

"I told them that she was a great player if they could get her," Slagle said. "Her play speaks for itself."

Martin said she liked that Middle Georgia stuck with her throughout the season.

She plans to major in nursing or biology and later transfer to a school where she can earn her four-year degree and possibly continue her basketball career. She said she liked that Middle Georgia involved her family in the recruiting process and said it would be easy to visit if she got homesick.